One of the messages you hear from Ellusionist constantly, especially from forum members: Get out and perform, because it will make you a better magician. But even though you benefit, your audience also benefits from the entertainment. Now, in this season of giving, think about this: It’s one thing to present your art to strangers on the street, who may or may not be looking for entertainment.

But a group of Chicago magicians has found an audience always ready for a performance, and to learn something. The magicians are making the rounds once a week in the children’s wings of five Chicago hospitals. They entertain, but many also take the extra step of teaching patients a trick or two.

The group is Open Heart Magic, a group founded by hospital magician Michael Walton. The group screens new magicians about once a year for a 12-week training class. The group’s mission is to use close-up magic as a therapeutic and positive interaction for children in hospitals. Walton said teaching kids tricks helps give them something they can control:

“When a child goes to the hospital, there is this loss of control, this lost sense of time, loss of friends. We try to give them something to continue the interaction beyond entertainment, to trick nurses and doctors.”

That got us thinking: How can you use your art to make others’ lives better? What can you do in 2009?

p.s. Note that OHM offers a 12-week training class for performing in front of kids who are patients. Performing for sick or terminal children requires training — your local hospital, Children’s Miracle Network or other charity organizations can help. More information can be found by browsing and searching the forums.

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Hey, at least this proves that in the USA you can do anhtying or be anybody! Help Wanted: President of the USNo Experience Required!Skills: must be able to draw large Hollywood crowds, must know how to say nothing in 5000 words or more, must be able to have plausible deniability for any past relationships – or be able to convince the media to do this for you, must know 15 “flowery” words that you can put somewhere in every sentence, must be able to reflect on a made-up past as if it were really your ownPlease send your resume to: DNC

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As the forums close, I want to say farewell and thank you to all the friends that have helped me progress in my magic over the last 7 years that I've been part of these forums. At the risk of omitting some folks, a heartfelt thank you to Arvind - the first person to welcome […]

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